Safety consultant with builder

14 May 2021 posted by Recovery Partners

Do you want to achieve the “gold standard” of health and safety at your business? Are you looking for a competitive edge? We thought so. You should be considering ISO 45001 certification or preparing to transition from the AS/NZS 4801.

An international group of health and safety experts collaborated to create what is now regarded as the “gold standard” of health and safety risk management. ISO 45001 certification changes your safety approach from reactive to proactive. The certification is designed to significantly improve safety management for organisations of all sizes and across all sectors.

We have written about the differences between AS/NZS 4801 and ISO 45001, as well as the transition, but you may still be wondering: What are the benefits of ISO 45001 certification to your organisation?  

 
Enhance workplace safety

By holding your business to international safety standards, you are using best practice to ensure and enhance workplace safety. Ultimately, workplace health management systems (WHSMS) integrate with every workplace task, helping prevent accidents, illnesses and occupational health problems. The certification process enables management to identify safety risks and put the necessary preventative measures in place.

Reduce costs and lower insurance premiums

International safety standards advocate for collaboration between employers and employees. Through improved communication and information flow between stakeholders, you can reduce compensation claims as employees will feel engaged and cared for. Safety certification minimises costs by reducing your insurance expenditure. Fewer accidents and incidents can result in less expensive downtimes in your organisation.

Increase revenue and Return on Investment (ROI)

Once you become ISO 45001 certified, more work opportunities may open to you. Tenders and grants usually require safety certification before you can apply and some organisations will only engage companies with safety certification. We all know tenders require hours of work and internal resources to detail the safety processes, policies and procedures of your business. When you’re certified, you can skip straight to that little tick box, which tells a company everything they need to know.  You can then divert your resources elsewhere.

Enhance company image

ISO 45001 certification can improve your organisation’s image and trustworthiness by acting as a testimonial that you meet international occupational health and safety standards. This enhanced reputation will help you attract top employees and customers. It gives your stakeholders confidence in your company as it tells them you invest in creating a safe workplace.

Improve productivity

Implementing the international safety standards demonstrates you are following best practice. This shows a clear commitment to your employees’ safety and can contribute to a more motivated and productive staff.

In summary
ISO 45001 international safety standards provide a framework to help businesses significantly enhance their health and safety programs, reduce workplace injuries and illnesses, improve employee productivity and quality, which overall helps to improve profitability.

Key dates
  • The soft transition deadline is 30th September 2021 – AS/NZS 4801 officially superseded
  • The hard transition deadline 13th July 2023 – official end date.
How you can achieve certification

Whilst the extension date seemingly allows two extra years, it’s seriously time to start getting organised now. Our team of experienced consultants in ISO 45001 will work with you and your business to ensure your WHS Management System is audit ready in preparation of gaining Certification.

What Recovery Partners can do for you:

  • Audit your current safety system
  • Provide a report on any gaps
  • Develop a project plan
  • Conduct the implementation or advise on implementing the plan.

We can prepare you for ISO 45001 certification success. But don’t just take our word for it, you can read how Recovery Partners helped AJ Grant, a residential and commercial building service, achieve ISO accreditation success.

Next steps

The first step in working towards your certification is to conduct a safety gap analysis. 
In just 5 minutes, you can check the health of your WHSMS.

Feeling confident? Download your free ISO 45001 Certification Checklist or use our ISO Comparison Matrix for IMS down below

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Disclaimer – these articles are provided to supply general safety information to people responsible for OHS in their organisation. They are general in nature and do not substitute for legal and/or professional advice. We always suggest that organisations obtain information specific to their needs. Additional information can be found at https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/